Living standards and poverty in France: northern and southern départements are the
worst affected by poverty and inequalities

Median living standards are highest in the Île-de-France, Rhône-Alpes and Alsace.
In the west, income inequalities are the lowest, while they are highest in Île-de-France.
Poverty levels are highest in Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Nord
and in Seine-Saint-Denis In Nord, Bouches-du-Rhône and Seine-Saint-Denis, large families
are particularly affected, which leads to more frequent child poverty. In the most
rural départements, poverty most commonly affects older people.
Unemployment, the proportion of economically inactive people, and differences in social
or family structure are the main reasons behind these differences. Social benefit
payments, which account for a third of the income available to poor households, contribute
significantly to reducing the magnitude of these differences.